New Models / 1 September 2026 / Michael Taylor

23 new cars announced at this year’s Festival of Motoring in South Africa

At least 23 new cars are set to appear in South Africa in the near future, and nearly all of them are coming from China.

TopAuto attended the 2026 Festival of Motoring in Gauteng this past weekend, where we had a chance to learn more about the various car brands and their plans for our market.

Dozens of carmakers were in attendance, showcasing a mix of recently launched models and upcoming releases.

VW, for example, had their own section where the Amarok Dark Label and the new T-Roc were on display, while BMW had a few cars from its BMW and Mini brands, like the 2 Series and Countryman John Cooper Works.

However, the vast majority of brands featured at this year’s festival were Chinese, and nearly all of them had one or more new vehicles that are set to appear in South Africa between late 2026 and early 2027.

Starting things off is BAIC, which showcased its electric sub-brand ArcFox for the first time with the T1 electric hatchback.

Changan, meanwhile, had two new SUVs with electrified powertrains, the Changan Uni-S HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and the Deepal S05 REEV (Range Extended Electric Vehicle).

The Chery Group, collectively, had the most cars at the event, as Chery had three cars – the Q, KP31, and Tiggo V.

The Q is the brand’s first electric car, while the KP31 is its first double-cab bakkie. KP31 is not the vehicle’s final name, which will be announced shortly, following a public voting campaign.

As for the Tiggo V, it is a new model that was showcased at the Beijing Motor Show earlier this year. In China, it is sold as both a bakkie and an SUV, as the back can be removed to form a small load bin.

However, the representative we spoke to said this won’t be available in South Africa, and the vehicle will only be sold as a seven-seater SUV.

Another Chery brand, Lepas, had new electric versions of the L4 and L6 crossovers, as well as the upcoming L8 flagship SUV.

iCAUR then had two new models, the 03T and V27 REEVs, and Jaecoo featured its first electric car, the J5 EV.

Next up is Dongfeng, which had two small urban EVs, the e-Qute 04 and 05, and a new premium SUV called the Forthing Friday.

Electrification turned out to be a major part of this year’s festival, as GAC showcased the Aion V hatchback, while GWM had multiple hybrids.

GWM had a new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the P300 in the 4×4 section, and Haval had the new Jolion Max HEV and H7 PHEV.

JMC had the new Grand Avenue bakkie, as well as a flagship model called the Grand Avenue Pro, which will arrive next year. LDV also had a pickup at the show in the form of the new T60 Max Plus.

Last but not least is Suzuki, one of the only non-Chinese brands at the show that had a major announcement with the new e Vitara.

The e Vitara is the brand’s first electric SUV. It hasn’t been confirmed for South Africa just yet, but the rep we spoke to said it was very unlikely that Suzuki wouldn’t launch it here, especially given how Chinese brands are rushing into the new-energy-vehicle space.